Patna-Ranchi corridor affected after cracks appear on Aurangabad bridge

Aurangabad: Traffic movement on the Patna-Ranchi corridor was thrown into disarray after serious structural cracks appeared on the Batane river bridge along NH-139 in Aurangabad district, forcing the administration to immediately suspend the movement of heavy vehicles.The sudden restriction on one of the busiest transport arteries in the region — used daily by more than 10,000 trucks, commercial carriers and long-distance buses — has triggered massive disruption for commuters and transport operators alike. The disruption has also severely affected the movement of goods carriers and commercial vehicles coming from Chhattisgarh towards Bihar and Jharkhand through the corridor.Aurangabad DM Abhilasha Sharma said during an inspection, officials of the National Highway division, Aurangabad, found deep cracks in several girders of the 225-metre-long bridge on Sunday. Structural damage was also noticed near the bearing pedestals, prompting engineers to warn that continued movement of heavy vehicles could lead to a major accident at any time.Acting on the report, the DM on Monday ordered an immediate ban on the movement of heavy vehicles across the bridge. The crisis, however, has deepened as the alternative routes identified for diversion are themselves in a severely damaged condition and incapable of handling heavy traffic load.Under the revised traffic arrangement, heavy vehicles travelling towards Hariharganj from Rohtas and the Patna-Gaya side are being diverted through the Barun-Tetaria Mor-Japla route, while vehicles coming towards Aurangabad from Hariharganj have been stopped and rerouted via Japla-Barun-NH-19. Large passenger buses and 12-wheel commercial vehicles have been directed to use the Amba-Nabinagar-Barun route, whereas smaller vehicles are being allowed through Chatra Mor-Mali-Nabinagar road. To manage the situation, magistrates and police personnel have been deployed at important locations, including Koiridih, Tetaria Mor, Amba Chowk, Keshav Mor, Jasoiya Mor and Sundarganj Bazar.In a letter to the DM, the executive engineer of the road construction department warned that several routes through which the vehicles have been diverted are in a dilapidated condition. He cited that the old bridge located within the first kilometre of the Amba-Nabinagar road is unsafe for vehicles weighing over 35 tonnes. The engineer further pointed out that the Nabinagar-Barun road, earlier transferred by Bihar State Bridge Construction Corporation, is currently not covered under any development scheme and that the stretch between the 11th and 35th km has deteriorated, requiring urgent repair and strengthening. Similarly, the Tetaria Mor-Koiridih section on the Barun-Japla route also needs immediate restoration before heavy vehicles can safely ply.Authorities additionally flagged the Hariharganj-Tandwa-Nabinagar-Mali-Sundarganj-Chatra Mor Road as unsuitable for multi-axle loaded vehicles, effectively ruling it out for major commercial traffic.